Source: RDM Team RWTH Aachen University
To celebrate NRW Research Data Day (TdF) on November 18, 2025, we would like to give you a sneak preview of our “RDM Practice” and “RDM Services” arenas. These are well worth exploring on Research Data Management (RDM) Action Day. This article provides an overview of the poster presentation by Dr. Lukas C Bossert from RWTH Aachen University, titled ‘Resilient Technologies’. Join us on TdF, engage in dialogue with the contributors and enjoy networking opportunities with other active RDM members!
The poster presentation ‘Resilient Technologies’ is part of Dr Lukas C. Bossert’s work in the field of research data management (RDM), including in the context of the Rhine-Ruhr Center for Scientific Data Literacy (DKZ.2R). The presentation starts with the question of which tools have proven to be reliable, open and sustainable over decades, and how these classic technologies, which are often underestimated, form a stable foundation for modern RDM. The approach is to identify tools and methods that are resilient in the sense of ROOT: Robust, Open, Ongoing and Time-tested (see image).
Source: Lukas C. Bossert
Brief Description of the Poster for the TdF
Entitled “Resilient Technologies: Why Decades-Old Tools Define the ROOT of Modern Research Data Management,” the poster shows that proven Unix tools such as grep, sed, awk, make, tar, rsync, curl, Emacs/Org-Mode, and LaTeX are still essential for reproducible and sustainable research processes. (*)
Using a practical example — working with a real dataset from the NFDI — the poster illustrates the entire life cycle of research data (from download to cleansing to archiving) with the help of these tools.
This contribution was created entirely in the spirit of literate programming, meaning the poster generates itself from the underlying Org mode code.
Order the Poster With the Slogan “FAIR Data – FAIR Play: It’s All a Question of Setup”
The “Resilient Technologies” poster emphasizes that FAIR data management does not require new software. Instead, it can be based on open, interoperable, and transparent tools that have proven reliable for decades. The presented tools are “FAIR by design”: open, documentable, reproducible, and independent of proprietary platforms. They thus symbolize a sustainable and fair “lineup” in research.
Dr. Lukas C. Bossert will be available to answer any further questions on November 18, 2025, in Aachen. Take this opportunity to meet him in person, engage in constructive dialogue, and explore the potential of resilient technologies in RDM.
Further Information
Further information and links to afternoon events at other locations in North Rhine-Westphalia can be found on the fdm.nrw events page.
If you have any questions about Research Data Day in North Rhine-Westphalia, please contact the organizing team. We look forward to hearing from you!
Responsible for the content of this article are Lukas Bossert and Lina-Louise Kaulbach.
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